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DictionarycomaDeep unconsciousness
noun

coma

KOH-muh/ˈkəʊmə/

A prolonged state of deep unconsciousness.

The patient remains in a coma after a serious accident.

A compact day-to-night bedside sequence shows the same unconscious hospital patient remaining unresponsive during repeated clinician checks.
Etymology
comaGreekdeep sleep

Greek kōma meant “deep sleep”; the medical term uses that image for prolonged unconsciousness from which someone cannot be awakened. The Greek word’s deeper origin is uncertain.

In context

Plainly Difficult514:37
he received a head injury resulting from a fall, which put him into a coma for 2 weeks.
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More examples

  • She woke from a coma and slowly regained her strength.
  • The infection left him in a coma for two weeks.
  • Doctors sometimes use medication to induce a coma.

Forms

coma · comas

comatose adjective — In a state of deep unconsciousness.

Similar words

unconsciousness
A broader loss of awareness, not necessarily prolonged or deep.
stupor
Reduced consciousness that may still allow responses to strong stimulation.